A known arrangement for packaging stacks of elastomeric gloves is to place the stack within a box, through a temporarily open end of the box, between a pair of vertically spaced plates that grip the stack between them. One plate may be a U-shaped tray. The plates compress the stack between them, and the stack may be inserted in the open box, or vice versa.
Once insertion is completed, the top and bottom plates are withdrawn in turn, parallel to the top or bottom of the stack respectively, while a lateral stationary plate acts as a stop to maintain the stack in the box. The top and bottom plates may be separated slightly vertically before withdrawal.
For gloves made in high friction materials, which offer user benefits, this approach can lead to rolling of the surfaces exposed to the plates or trays. This results in an unsightly appearance when the pack is opened, typically by tearing away of a finger exaction window, and also makes removal of a single glove difficult.
FIG. 1 schematically illustrates an example of conventional glove packaging apparatus, depicting the effect on the top gloves 5a of the stack 6′ of withdrawal of the top plate 14′. The bottom plate is indicated at 16′. The top gloves, restrained by side plate 42′, are partially rolled back on themselves by plate 14′. The result, on opening the box 20′ for use by pressing out tab 24′ with score lines 23′, is an unsightly appearance and difficulty in removing the top few gloves through the opening left by tab 24′.
It is an object of the invention to at least in part alleviate this problem.